NJASP Spring CONFERENCE

Keynote

8:30-9:30 AM

Updates on Important Initiatives at the NJDOE

Damian Petino, PsyD, Assistant Director, Office of Special Education At the New Jersey Department of Education

Dr. Damian Petino is the assistant director for the Office of Special Education at the New Jersey Department of Education. He is a certified school psychologist and supervisor as well as a licensed psychologist in the state of New Jersey. Prior to working as Assistant Director, Dr. Petino was an Assistant Project Director for the Natural Setting Therapeutic Management project with Rutgers University, where he provided behavior consultation to public school districts, staff training in behavior management theory and strategies, and supervised graduate students. As a school psychologist, Dr. Petino designed and implemented a program for students with emotional and behavioral distillates within a public high school setting. Dr. Petino earned his Doctor of Psychology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, where he also received his bachelor's degree in biology and psychology. 

Morning Workshops

9:30 – 11:45 AM

WORKSHOP 1:

An Introduction to the 2020 NASP Principles for Professional Ethics

Barbara Bole Williams, PhD, NCSP, Rowan University

AM Session Only

This workshop will provide participants with an update on the proposed changes in the 2020 NASP Principles for Professional Ethics.   It will also cover skills and strategies to enable participants to use a problem-solving model to effectively interpret the 2020 NASP Principles for Professional Ethics in school psychology.  This problem-solving approach can be applied as school psychologists encounter ethical and legal issues in their work settings, with the goal of avoiding ethical violations and protecting the rights and welfare of children and advocating for their best interests.  Using actual cases, the workshop will provide examples of behaviors that would comply with standards of appropriate professional conduct.  Instructional strategies will include lecture, guided discussion and practice in applying the problem-solving model.  Participants will earn 3 CEUs to fulfill the ethics and professional practice requirements for NCSP renewal and professional development hours.  

Learner Objectives:

• Learn about the proposed changes in the 2020 NASP PPE
• Learn a general ethical & professional practices (EPP) problem-solving model
• Practice the model in small groups
• Learn about resources to use the model in daily practice

Barbara Bole Williams, PhD, NCSP is a professor and coordinator of the School Psychology Program at Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ.  Before becoming a graduate educator, Barbara had extensive experience working in New Jersey public schools as a school psychologist and director of special services.  She holds a PhD from Temple University.  She is past President of New Jersey Association of School Psychologists (NJASP) and past New Jersey Delegate and Delegate Representative for the Northeast Region for the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). She is the immediate past Chair of the NCSP Certification Board for NASP.  Currently, she is a member of NASP Program Accreditation Board. 

Barbara has served on the NASP Ethics Committee for seven years as representative from the Northeast region of the country.  She is presently a member of the NASP Ethics Advisory Panel.  She is the lead author in the 2008 NASP publication, Professional Ethics for School Psychologists: A Problem-Solving Model Casebook (2008) and second edition (2011) co-authored by Leigh Armistead and Susan Jacob.  A third edition of the book is now underway.  Barbara also is a member of the writing team to develop the NASP 2020 revised ethics code.  She was honored as the recipient of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award from NASP conferred at the 2011 NASP Convention in San Francisco, CA.    

WORKSHOP 2: 

Updating practices for the communication of assessment results: Creating integrated, useful and strength-based psychological reports.

Dr. Stephanie Rahill, Ph.D., NCSP, Georgian Court University

This workshop is a half-day workshop with the same session running in the AM and PM

School psychologists continue to spend a great deal of time in assessment-related activities and in the development of written reports to communicate assessment findings. This presentation will discuss specific ways that school psychologists can evaluate their current report-writing practices and will provide tools for creating integrated or theme-based reports that are both useful and practical for teachers and parents. The presentation will include the presentation of a tool to organize findings into integrated themes and will include examples of how to organize reports that are strength-based and specific to referral questions.  Finally, this presentation will include a discussion of how to effectively communicate assessment findings during feedback conferences with parents.

Learner Objectives

• Participants will learn how to evaluate their current report-writing practices with the goal of finding specific areas for improvement in their reports
• Participants will learn specific strategies for organizing assessment results into an integrated report that is useful, practical, strength-based and responsive to the stated referral questions.
• Participants will develop new strategies for how to communicate assessment results when presenting results orally at meetings with parents and teachers.

Stephanie Rahill, Ph.D., NCSP is an Associate Professor and Director of the MA/CAGS Program in School Psychology at Georgian Court University. Her research interests include communication strategies for school psychologists, report-writing practices, developing effective school-family relationships and professional practices in school psychology. She teaches courses in assessment, consultation, school crisis, practicum and internship at Georgian Court University. She has previously practiced as a school psychologist in Virginia, Florida and at an international school in Manila, Philippines.

WORKSHOP 3: 

Utility of Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) for Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Identification and Intervention for School Psychologists

Vincent C. Alfonso, Ph.D. Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University

This workshop is a half-day workshop with the same session running in the AM and PM

This workshop shall focus on what is new to cross-battery assessment, relations between CHC abilities and academic skills, an overview of cross-battery assessment via X-BASS (cross-battery assessment system software), and the utility of the X-BASS in pattern of strengths and weaknesses (PSW) analyses. In addition, introduction to an intervention library shall be presented.

Learner Objectives:

• Identify the various methods used to identify specific learning disabilities
•  Understand the pattern of strengths and weaknesses method used in the identification of specific learning disabilities
• Understand the theoretical underpinnings, psychometric properties, and practical applications of the X-BASS, and sate the major functions of the X-BASS

Vincent C. Alfonso, Ph.D., is Interim Dean of the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University. Prior to this position, he was Professor in and Dean of the School of Education at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington and Professor in and Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Education, Fordham University, New York City. He is past president of Division 16 (School Psychology) of the American Psychological Association (APA), and Fellow of Divisions 16, 5, and 43 of the APA. He is also Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. In February 2014, he received the Outstanding Contributions to Training award from the Trainers of School Psychologists and in August 2017, he received the Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award from Division 16 of the APA. He is co-author of Essentials of WISC-V Assessment, Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment (3rd Edition), co-editor of Essentials of Specific Learning Disability Identification (2nd Edition) and Essentials of Planning, Selecting, and Tailoring Interventions for the Unique Learner all published by Wiley. In addition, he is co-editor of Healthy Development in Young Children: Evidence-based Interventions for Early Education the APA and Psychoeducational Assessment of Preschool Children (5th Edition) published by Routledge.

WORKSHOP 4: 

Diagnosis and Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Andrew Livanis, Ph.D.

This presentation is designed to help school-based professionals identify how an accurate diagnosis of ASD should be made, or if a student comes to them with a diagnosis already, how various assessment instruments can help their understanding of the disorder itself.

Learner Objectives:

• Identify the symptoms of ASD as well as the course and prognosis of the disorder.
• Identify how ASD may present differently at various age levels.
• State the strengths and weaknesses of commercially available assessments of ASD.

Andrew Livanis, Ph.D., is a NYS certified school psychologist, a NYS licensed psychologist (Lic # 020334), Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D - 1-07-3861) and NYS licensed Behavior Analyst (Lic #000501). Dr. Livanis has worked in a variety of settings and has founded large scale behavioral programs in public and private schools to include children with autism spectrum disorder as well as emotional and behavioral issues.  He has worked with other schools to: implement curricula to improve the language functioning of children with autism; implement school-wide positive behavioral supports for all children; and engage in program review and analysis.  Dr. Livanis is the current past-president of the NY Association of School Psychologists.  In the academic world he served as chair of the Department of Counseling and School Psychology at LIU in Downtown Brooklyn, and founded and directed their Applied Behavior Analysis program, one of the first programs in the state that was approved by the BACB as well as the NYS Office of Professions.

Currently, Dr. Livanis is the chief psychologist of Livanis Behavioral Consulting which provides direct applied behavior analytic services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Afternoon Workshops

1:00-3:30

WORKSHOP 5: 

Ask the School Psychologist: A Discussion of Training vs. Practice

Barry Barbarasch, Ed.D

PM Session Only

This workshop is an opportunity to “ask a School Psychologist” about challenges school psychologists face, the direction of their career and any other questions they may have. School Psychology is a fulfilling career, but there are many challenges. Some attendees may simply be interested in how their roles and functions vary across the state. Attendees may even take new ideas to their district!  This workshop is ideal for early career or school psychologists in new positions.  It is interactive and attendees will be encouraged to participate via questions and discussion.  

Learner Objectives:

•  Answers their questions regarding the field of school psychology
• Develop a better understanding the roles and functions of the school psychologists varies throughout the state
•  Develop strategies he/she can use to expand his/her role within the school

Barry Barbarasch, Ed.D.,has been a school psychologist for over 35 years, in the  New York and New Jersey public schools. In addition to consulting with public and private schools, he is currently Adjunct Professor in the school psychology Masters/Certification program at Rowan University, and is an adjunct professor in the School Psychology doctoral program, at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has also been an adjunct professor at Rutgers University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and New Jersey City University. Barry is currently chairperson of New Jersey Association of School Psychologists’  Government and Professional Relations committee, and also has also served on the Government and Professional Relationships committee of the National Association of School Psychologists.  He currently serves on the NASP Credentialing Committee, and is Past President of the New Jersey Association of School Psychologist.

WORKSHOP 6:  

Updating practices for the communication of assessment results: Creating integrated, useful and strength-based psychological reports.

Dr. Stephanie Rahill, Ph.D., NCSP, Georgian Court University

This workshop is a half-day workshop with the same session running in the AM and PM

See “AM Workshops” for description

WORKSHOP 7:

Utility of Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) for Specific Learning Disability (SLD) Identification and Intervention for School Psychologists

Vincent C. Alfonso, Ph.D. Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University

This workshop is a half-day workshop with the same session running in the AM and PM

See “AM Workshops” for description    

WORKSHOP 8: 

School-Based Intervention for Students Diagnosed with ASD

Andrew Livanis, Ph.D.

School based professionals are often at a loss for assessing and treating autism symptomatology (i.e.., social-communication deficits and repetitive or restrictive behaviors) as well as dealing with related issues such as tantrums, sleep and eating issues.  Participants who attend this presentation will learn to:

• Identify critical aspects of a functional assessment (as well as its variants).
• Select which interventions would match with the function of the child’s behavior(s).
• Evaluate new interventions such as Relational Frame Theory as relating to the core or associated features of ASD.
• This event will run from 1:00pm – 3:05pm and will be available for 2.5 BACB Learning CE credits through Livanis Behavioral Consulting (OP-19-3123). The Behavior Analyst Certification Board ("BACB") does not sponsor, approve or endorse Livanis Behavioral Consulting, its materials, information or this event.
  

See “AM Workshops” for bio

----PLEASE BE ADVISED, UNLESS IDENTIFIED AT REGISTRATION, ALL HANDOUTS WILL BE PROVIDED ELECTRONICALLY---